Fairy Tale News New Year's Bumper Edition: Food and dining

• Young Chef's Academy will be hosting a Princess & the Frog themed event (& themed cuisine course too) on January 23rd in Warren County, Cincinnati, USA.

• What to feed a princess and a castle full of people after a 100 year nap - Cecelia Myers has put together a great first banquet for Sleeping Beauty's waking castle, complete with recipes so you can indulge and feast in your own castle. A Royal Awakening comes with stories and recipes to delight your mind and body. This is one of the awesome new offerings from new blogazine Enchanted Conversation.

• "Human, It's What's For Dinner", "Yum: Cannibalism", "I'll Take Cannibals for $200, Alex","Garden of Eden and Fairy Tales" - all student guest posts (links take you to each article separately) at Diamonds and Toads on the darker side of eating in fairy tales. Very interesting range of writing and ideas! (My apologies if I missed a post.) Please note: there are many other excellent guest student posts worth reading too - take some time to browse and go back a few pages to see the range of topics.

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Fairy Tale News New Year's Bumper Edition: Weather & the natural world

• Act now to save our birds Birds have always been endowed with symbolic portent – from Chekhov to Hitchcock to Twitter. We ignore their decline at our peril. There are glimmers of hope, but only if we act now (Article by Margaret Atwood on the importance of birds from myth, to history to today, their decline and what we can do. She originally wrote the essay On Souls As Birds' from Mirror, Mirror On the Wall, which this article echoes. Again, via The Fairy Tale Cupboard)

• Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (Ohio, USA) is having a "Fairytales & Frogs" themed event on February 15th, 2010 - kids under 12 in costume have free entry to the Zoo and Rainforest that day. "Not only will guests learn about the importance of frogs, but they’ll also celebrate the special role these amphibians have played in fairytales and legends throughout history. " (I wish I could go to this!) Additional info: "Everyone can get nose-to-nose with frogs during Get-Close Encounters and decipher myth from reality by talking with the Zoo’s frog keepers. Other activities include a frog craft, storytelling and an interactive life-size “Frogger” game that teaches the importance of frogs in our ecosystem and addresses the perils that frogs face in the wild due to pollution, climate change and habitat loss."

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Fairy Tale News New Year's Bumper Edition: Fairy tale funnies

• Drawing Naveen - by the animators of The Princess and the Frog - showing how 'small' adjustments to a characters appearance can really change things.

• Disney New Judgemental Fairy Tale: The Jewish American Princess. I'll say this really clearly, in case people get the wrong idea - THIS IS A PARODY - A JOKE - NOT REAL. This may bother some people, just because parody tends to do that, but I found it very funny and think it's worth sharing (especially having worked in the animation industry, which is also makes fun of). It also pokes some gentle fun at the Disney Princess film formula. It's like a very well done Saturday Night Live sketch, without the language or smutty humor. Again, this is a parody. A very well done one. Please view accordingly if the idea appeals and skip if it doesn't.

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New Promo Pic for Disney's Rapunzel

Most of you will have seen this by now but I feel I should post it anyway. An unnamed French magazine published this new pic from the Disney fairy tale feature currently in production and due for a November 2010 release.

Below is the largest version I could find of the image so you can click on it to view all the details and take a good look at the painterly style Glen Keane developed so the CG film will have more of a traditional look than most CG films.As you may have noticed the image has the French text from the magazine still on it (Raiponce is the French translation of Rapunzel).

And a little Princess and the Frog news: despite it's incredible popularity and rave reviews from all over, PatF hasn't earned anywhere near Disney's expectations in box office returns (remember, dollars from marketing products don't 'count', which still seems odd to me as it should be an indication of how much people want a piece of the movie/story/characters for themselves). What this means for future 2D animated Disney projects and future fairy tale films is yet to be determined. Either way, we'll be seeing Rapunzel at the end of next year.

The Princess and the Frog: 2 New Clips

Fan Art from "The Princess and the Frog"
Artist Unknown

Here are two more clips that were released just before Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" hit theaters.
The first one is from the song sequence "Almost There" and pops into a Mary-Blair-esque style for a short while (think retro-style, like the development for Disney's Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella):


If you can't get that clip to play (it's been temperamental for me) try this one HERE.

The second is our introduction to the 'fairy godmother' type character of Mama Odie:

Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" - 1st Weekend Summary

As you know, "The Princess and the Frog" hit theaters last Friday and many people have been holding their breath to see how a fairy-tale-hand-drawn (and black princess) Disney film would do.

Rather than explain and quote at length, here's a summary (please note, these points are compiled from many articles. I have not yet seen the film myself):

• Good news: The Princess and the Frog was a strong number one at the box office all weekend

• Bad news: It didn't open as strongly as the Disney Execs were hoping (i.e. match Pixar's opening takes)
  

• Good news: It still recouped over a quarter of the disclosed production costs in the first weekend so should be strong enough to support the idea of a) more fairy tale films b) more hand drawn films

• Bad news: There's still a long way to go before it makes a profit (at the box office, that is - this doesn't take any merchandise sales into account of course!)

• Good news: Even harsh critics are calling it 'a good film'

• Bad news: It's considered rather girly so boys probably won't be attending much, bringing potential box office numbers down (this should have been expected though with the word "Princess" in the title)
  

• Good news: Mid-December releases tend to have a long life so prospects look good for it's box office future (and takings and therefore investment in future fairy tale films)

• Good news: The general response is that Disney did a good job of a) a black heroine b) representing New Orleans c) a fun yet romantic story that kept audiences engaged

• Good news: Audiences are loving the hand drawn look (so there will be more support for more hand-drawn fairy tale films in the future)

As you can see there's more good news than bad. The big test will come when "Sherlock Holmes" and "Avatar" are released to see how PatF does then and how much staying power it has (despite that it's targeted at a completely different audience). If you're interested in reading more in depth I recommend starting HERE.

Projection: With audiences and critics responding very favorably, the frog's legs are looking quite strong (as is the future of more fairy tale films from Disney). :)[Disney fairy tales currently in production: Rapunzel (CG), King of the Elves (CG), Snow Queen (hand-drawn).]

The Princess and the Frog Featurette: Magic of the Bayou

One more featurette before the big release day tomorrow. This one revives my enthusiasm for seeing the movie (the opening scene with the young Tiana greatly dampened it for a while there).This featurette is called Magic of the Bayou and gives us glimpses of scenes we haven't seen before. I particularly like the way the good magic of Mama Odie (in the movie it's voodoo) balances the bad of Dr. Facilier (also voodoo).Nice use of color palettes for good vs evil, yes? You may notice there's also a strong set of shapes for each set: long, lean and stretched for the baddies, round, earthy and comfortably plump for the good. I've yet to see all the magic effects but the clips I've seen and pics like these show curly, sinuously moving creeping magic for Dr. Facilier while Mama Odie's is strong and ray-like.

Here's the featurette - enjoy!

I sincerely hope the movie does well and revives people's enthusiasm for fairy tales. It's been a while since they've been in popular culture and, despite the Disneyfication of the tales (and this story, while taking inspiration from The Frog Prince and some ideas from the book "The Frog Princess" by E.D. Baker, is really more of a Disney original story than a retelling) there's no doubt we owe Disney a great deal of thanks for keeping fairy tales in the popular consciousness.

"The Princess and the Frog" Soundtrack Preview

Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" is finally opening Friday (December 11th, 2009) and the 'pre-buzz' (from all those who are managing to get into the exclusive previews) is excellent from many different quarters.Here's a little treat, especially if you love New Orleans-type jazz and zydeco (albeit rather Disney-fied). Disney has released the soundtrack to listen to online (for free).

The link is HERE.

A heads up: it opens a Windows Media Player so don't be alarmed when it pops up.
And a warning: the music clip opens with the contemporary song Disney seems to feel compelled to include for their end credits (and contemporary tie-in). I couldn't fast forward past it to the actual screen tracks but hang in there. If you enjoy jazz you should find some pieces you'll enjoy, especially if you like Randy Newman's music.
You can see a track listing with some other details HERE.

"Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio" Exhibit at NOMA

A while back I mentioned (HERE) there was a Disney Fairy Tale Art Exhibit making its way to New Orleans.

The exhibition is up and running (it opened on November 15, 2009) and will continue to show until March 14, 2010 at NOMA (The New Orleans Museum of Art).Here's an excerpt from the exhibit description by the museum:

Dreams Come True showcases original artwork from legendary Disney animated films, including Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, and will feature a children's section celebrating Disney's connections with jazz music and the Crescent City. The artworks, on loan from the Walt Disney Studio Animation Research Library, will be accompanied by film clips to demonstrate how individual sketches and paintings lead to a finished celluloid masterpiece. Organized by the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and the New Orleans Museum of Art, this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, which cannot be seen anywhere else in North America is set to coincide with the premier of Disney's upcoming animated feature, The Princess and the Frog, set in New Orleans during the 1920s Jazz Age.

And from the dedicated page:

The New Orleans Museum of Art will present Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio, a major exhibition featuring more than 600 original artworks that shaped legendary animated features including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. (Ed FTNH: as well as artwork from the December 2009 movie release The Princess and the Frog.)

... Visitors to the exhibition will encounter themed rooms showcasing artwork related to specific animated features. Arranged chronologically by year of release, the rooms will feature, in order: Silly Symphonies, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Princess and the Frog. Film clips will accompany the artwork to demonstrate how individual sketches and paintings lead to a finished celluloid masterpiece. An adjacent Education Area will highlight Disney's long association with music and also will serve as a mini library for animation research and storytelling programs.

You can read the rest of the description HERE.and there's a brief but interesting article about Lella Smith hosting a preview tour of the exhibit HERE. (Lella Smith is Creative Director of Disney's Animation Research Library. I posted excerpts from an interview with her HERE as well as links if you're interested in finding out more about her.).

There's no mention of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Black Cauldron, Aladdin, Mulan or any of the shorter fairy tale related works in either of the Fantasia films or the separate shorts like Little Match Girl, so I'm guessing they're sticking with full-length feature films based on Grimm's and Perrault's work only.

There is a very interesting looking catalog of the exhibition available for purchase online HERE, by Lella Smith.Here's the blurb:

Dreams Come True: Art of the Classic Fairy Tales from the Walt Disney Studio
by Lella Smith

This beautifully illustrated catalogue presents familiar fairy tales and the adaptations made by the Walt Disney Studio for the movies. The films span 80 years- from the early Silly Symphony shorts to the 2009 release of The Princess and the Frog.

The comparative tales would be very interesting and this is likely to be a collector's item in the future. Even if you can't make it to the exhibition before mid-March next year, this may be a nice thing to think about buying.

NOTE: All the Sleeping Beauty art shown is by legendary Disney artist Eyvind Earle. You can read more about him and his work HERE.

First 5 1/2 Minutes of Disney's The Princess and the Frog Now Available To View

I've debated on whether or not to post this (there have been SO many PatF posts recently!) but figure some might be keen to see it.

It's the first five minutes (the opening, without the titles) from Disney's The Princess and the Frog. It isn't all completed animation, which is kind of nice to see actually, but it is continuous, except for the last 30 seconds or so. I think this is now available because it's on the Snow White Blu-ray disc as an 'exclusive preview' which was released on Tuesday.This clip is, unfortunately, heavy on the little-girl-princess aspect and doesn't show how the movie is likely to appeal to more than little girls but it does have an amusing scene with a frog with Tiana as a little girl.


Here's the last 30 seconds or so which seems to be missing from half the review sites - it's the part I like best. Enjoy!

Extended Scene from Disney's The Princess and the Frog

This sequence was released just over a day ago by Disney from their upcoming, much anticipated film "The Princess and the Frog".

It's a continuous three minutes and twenty seconds and, it should be noted, most of the footage we've seen before in trailers, specials and featurettes BUT it is a treat to see the pieces put together in order, without cuts, edits and other narration interrupting.

It's the big 'girl kisses (talking) frog' sequence, which, by the way, references the fairy tale the film is adapted from - complete with book. I wonder if the marketing-and-toyable gurus at Disney have thought to make and release this book - I'd buy that. (hint, hint!)

Oh. And don't worry. The actual 'girl-lips-on-amphibian-lips' part is relatively short. :D

Enjoy!

2 New "Princess and the Frog" Featurettes

A LEAPING LOVE STORY
(as the title suggests, it looks at the love story in the film)

If you have problems viewing the movie please go HERE to view.

DISNEY'S NEWEST PRINCESS
(focusing on Tiana and how she's not the typical Disney heroine)

Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" Golden Book

Golden Books routinely releases the Disney movie storybooks, complete with reproductions of scenes from the movies but did you know they often also release (usually for a limited time) a completely different version? One that's often drawn/created by the current hot talents of character design and visual development for animation?

For "The Princess and the frog" that artist is the very talented CalArts graduate Lorelay Bove. (She also did the Toy Story picture book that came out on September 1st.) She's currently working at Disney in visual development.

She just got the first print copies of her work for golden book and kindly gave us a sneak peek on her blog. (Thanks to Cartoon Brew for the alert!)The book goes on sale (for the very affordable price of $3.99 - hooray!) on October 13th, 2009.

You can see larger views of the work above and a whole lot more of Lorelay's work on her blog HERE.

More Displays For "The Princess and the Frog"

This time the display is inside the Feature Animation Studios in Burbank, CA. The pictures were kindly taken and shared by stitchkingdom.com for those of us who don't have the opportunity to go see them in person.

Being a sucker for maquettes I'm showing you those as well as some other unique things that caught my eye but there's much more to look at HERE.

I can't think of another Disney fairy tale film that references an actual fairy tale, let alone the fairy tale the film itself is based on, (the prince, in frog form, points to a fairy tale book - shown below - with a lovely illustrated version of the traditional story of the frog prince) so I believe this is a first. (Disney's Beauty and the Beast has Belle reading a fairy tale by the village fountain as she sings to the sheep but it's not "Beauty and the Beast".)
The maquettes (three dimensional models created specifically for - and used by - animators during the animation process, so they can see what the model looks like from any angle they need to). Glaring omissions from this display are the frog maquettes for both Naveen and Tiana. The little guy Tiana-in-princess-mode is holding below, isn't a very useful model, as far as I can tell.
Dr. Facilier's lair.
And a frog prince puppet.(Although having a maquette would be really nice, I'd be more than happy with this little guy.)

Want to see more? Click HERE to go to the photo gallery at stitchkingdom.com.